CASTLETON, Vt. – Graduate student defenseman Kevin Weaver-Vitale (Toronto, Ontario/Markham Royals) registered a career-high three points on two goals and one assist, as the No. 9 Plattsburgh State men's ice hockey team opened the 2024-25 regular season with a 6-3 non-conference victory over Vermont State University Castleton on Friday evening at Spartan Arena.
 
Plattsburgh State is ranked at No. 9 in the USCHO.com Men's Division III Top-15 Poll.
 
The Cardinals held a 44-14 advantage in shots on goal while going 1-for-5 on the power play and netting a shorthanded goal. The Spartans were 1-for-4 with the extra attacker.
 
With the win, head coach Steve Moffat now has 99 career victories, with 67 recorded at Plattsburgh State and 32 registered during his tenure at VTSU Castleton.
 
Plattsburgh State rises to 1-0-0 with the victory and visits No. 11 Plymouth State University next on Friday, Nov. 8, at 6 p.m. VTSU Castleton drops to 0-1-0 with the loss and next hosts Keene State College tomorrow at 7 p.m.
 
Weaver-Vitale broke the ice with a power-play goal 6:09 into the first period. He received a pass from sophomore forward Tio D'Addario (Montreal, Quebec/Navan Grads) from the bottom of the left circle and lifted a shot over the goaltender's right shoulder from the high slot. Senior defenseman Jack Ring (Hingham, Mass./Northeast Generals) earned the secondary assist on the marker.
 
VTSU Castleton responded with a goal midway through the opening stanza, as junior forward Jackson Edwards forced a turnover on the forecheck, spun around and whipped a pass to junior forward Dylan Roebuck in the slot, who scored over the goalie's left shoulder.
 
The Cardinals netted two unanswered goals to close out the first period. Junior forward Jake Sacratini (Montreal, Quebec/American International College) scored his first collegiate goal shorthanded with 16:21 elapsed in the first, banging a loose puck into the back of the net from the top of the left circle after senior forward Luk Jirousek (Whitehorse, Yukon/Alberni Valley Bulldogs) led the rush up the ice. With 7.2 seconds remaining in the period, junior forward Joshua Belgrave (Burlington, Ontario/Burlington Cougars) cashed in on a pass that junior defenseman Spencer Bellina (Medina, Ohio/Chippewa Steel) banked off the back wall and deflected off of first-year forward Brody Spencer-Ha's (Okotoks, Alberta/Drayton Valley Thunder) skate.
 
The Spartans cut the gap to one with 7:02 gone in the second period, as first-year forward Luke Chakrabarti forced a turnover in the Cardinals' zone before graduate student defenseman Justin Stairs snapped a shot from the left point that went in glove side.
 
Weaver-Vitale scored what wound up being the game-winning goal at 18:32 of the second. Senior forward Jake Lanyi (North Salem, N.Y./Connecticut Jr. Rangers) won a face-off over to first-year forward Tyler Ramm (Westborough, Mass./Northeast Generals), and Ramm passed back to Weaver-Vitale on the left point. Weaver-Vitale then navigated a wrist shot into the back of the net through the five-hole.
 
VTSU Castleton pulled back within one at 7:37 of the third period on the power play, as sophomore forward Josef Vyvial tipped in a shot from the right point taken by sophomore defenseman Aiden Robson. Chakrabarti was credited with a secondary assist on the goal.
 
Lanyi answered 1:20 later to add insurance to the visitors' cause. Bellina passed D-to-D to Weaver-Vitale before Weaver-Vitale fed Lanyi in the right circle. Lanyi then capitalized on a one-time shot, scoring glove side.
 
Spencer-Ha netted his first collegiate goal at the 9:44 mark of the third period to put the game on ice. Castleton tried to clear the zone, but the pass was intercepted by Spencer-Ha. Spencer-Ha then skated to the bottom of the right circle and snuck in a tight-angle shot short side.
 
Senior goaltender Jacob Hearne (Ennismore, Ontario/Toronto Jr. Canadiens) backstopped the Cardinals with an 11-save effort, while VTSU Castleton's senior goaltender Dominic Rodrigue turned aside 38 shots in the loss.